


That's my favourite book

by Spark_Stark



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, M/M, Meet-Cute, Pre-Slash, Wuthering Heights References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:26:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29226948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spark_Stark/pseuds/Spark_Stark
Summary: Spencer is confused why there's a cute boy studying in the library on a Friday night. Surely there's a party him and his leather jacket should be at instead.
Relationships: Aaron Hotchner/Spencer Reid
Comments: 10
Kudos: 151





	That's my favourite book

It's nearing eleven at night and Spencer knows he won't be sleeping much tonight. There's a party at the end of his dorm hall and if the music was any louder his walls would be vibrating. His converse at the end of his bed are practically begging him to put them on and go to the library.

He steps in a puddle on his walk across campus. His sock has soaked up the water and he'll be cold all night. His mother always said the cure to coldness was warm feet, now his foot was cold and wet and he forgot a coat on his way out. Whatever, it's fine. He's far from the party so he doesn't care.

The library is his refuge.

But tonight he's not alone.

That's fine... Spencer doesn't _own_ the building, it's public domain. But he's sitting in the classics section - that's Spencer's section.

There's a large table with ten chairs, four each side and one at each end. Spencer puts his bag down on the third seat of one side, the opposite end to the intruder at the top of the table.

He tries not to pay any attention to the intruder. He walks to the shelves and plucks _'Wuthering Heights’_ from the B shelf and sits down on the chair beside his bag. A modest four spaces at 90 degrees from the stranger with a mop of black hair buried in an American Federal Law textbook that would take Spencer half an hour to read.

20,000 words a minute for thirty minutes with 450 words per page with font 12 and single spacing; it's almost 1,334 pages. Which isn’t really that many pages, but it seems a little heavy for a Friday night.

Spencer doesn't realise he's staring until the soft, black hair flips up and falls back onto the guy's forehead and bright brown eyes are looking right back at him. He's wearing a leather jacket over a grey hooded sweatshirt. In the limited lighting, Spencer can make out _‘Track and Field’_ in dark navy text.

He's most definitely not the sort of guy to be spending his Friday night in the library reading a law book. Spencer thinks he should be at the dorm party in his building.

All thoughts are tossed straight from his mind when leather jacket law guy smiles at him, all white teeth and dimples and _oh_ \- he's cute.

Spencer looks back down at the unopened book in his hands so quickly it makes his head spin - or maybe it was that smile. He forces his fingers to work the pages open and tells himself not to look up again lest he want to do something embarrassing. He's only seen that smile once but to hell if he isn't already addicted.

Sometime later, between Frances dying and Hindley becoming an alcoholic, Spencer falls asleep against the table with his head against the pages.

The first thing he notices when he wakes up is he's not nearly as cold as he thought he'd be. He raises his head from where it was resting against the book and then he notices a second thing; cute guy with the law book is now sitting across from him.

"That's my favourite book." he says smiling again, a little shyer this time.

Spencer thinks he's died and gone to heaven. "What?” his voice is thick from sleep but he feels a lot better than he did a few hours ago.

"I'm Aaron," The cute guy across from him says. "You looked awful cold there.”

He points at Spencer's chest and Spencer follows the gaze. On his shoulders is the black leather jacket Aaron had been wearing earlier.

Spencer blushes as he asks, "What time is it?"

Aaron looks at the watch on his wrist. "Just gone two," he answers. "I was going to wake you, but you looked so tired when you came in.” In the dim overhead light, Spencer makes out the rose coloured tint on Aaron's cheeks.

"Thank you," he says, pulling the jacket tighter around his shoulders not yet ready to give it back.

Aaron closes the textbook on front of him and puts it into the backpack by his feet. He pulls the bag onto his lap and looks back up at Spencer. "I'm going to get some coffee...”

He pauses, looking at Spencer expectantly. That's when Spencer realises he hasn't given Aaron his name yet. "Spencer," he blushes again.

"I'm going to get some coffee, Spencer." Aaron says. "Can I buy you one?"

He looks both shy and confident at the same time, it's the most beautiful thing Spencer has ever seen.

They leave the library together and head towards the only coffee shop open on campus at 2am. Spencer's still got Aaron's jacket over his shoulders, he runs his finger down the zip nervously, secretly hoping Aaron won't ask for it back.

“You might want to put your arms through the sleeves," he says, and Spencer almost signs in relief. He slips his arms through and the cuffs fall down just past his fingertips.

* * *

In the small coffee shop, there's nobody else but another college student behind the counter. She gives them a smile Spencer doesn't understand when Aaron pays for both of their drinks.

They sit across from each other at a small table by the window. The street lights cast an orange shade against Aaron's cheekbones that has Spencer struggling to catch his breath. Before his mind tries to betray him with any embarrassing thoughts he asks, "ls Wuthering Heights really your favourite book?"

Aaron looks at him as if Spencer had just offended him. He's scared for a second until Aaron’s smile returns. "Of course it is." he replies. “It's highly immoral to lie about ones literary preferences."

"Preferences, huh?" Spencer says with a smirk before his mind has the chance to veto it.

Across the table, Aaron looks just as surprised as Spencer. "Definitely more of the Edgar type."

Spencer tried not to blush at Aaron's implications. Aaron raised one eyebrow at him, to which Spencer's response was, " _Tall, athletic, well-formed man._ ” Aaron laughed at Spencer's voice, it was high pitched and breathless. As he imagined Nelly Dean narrated.

The night ticked into morning as the two boys enjoyed themselves in the company of each other. After their third cups of coffee were drained, they left the shop and walked into the early morning together. Spencer had never understood why people found pleasure in walking, he saw it nothing more than a task; a way to get from one place to another. But with Aaron by his side, smiling as he listened so intently to what Spencer was saying like nobody else had before, it didn't feel like an inconvenience.

It felt amazing.

The only time Aaron wasn't staring so fervently at Spencer, was when his eyes drifted down Spencer's hand by his side. 

In any other situation Spencer would be a nervous wreck; stuttering and avoiding eye contact. But Aaron was _listening_ to him and it gave him a never before feeling of confidence. He reached out and grabbed Aaron's hand with his. Aaron’s hand was bigger and warmer than his, and Spencer had to fold up his sleeve to stop it from getting in the way of their palms touching.

"I don't want to cut this short," Aaron said regretfully. "But I have work in the afternoon and I haven't slept since Thursday."

Spencer stopped where they were walking and looked up the inch height difference between them to Aaron. "Thursday?" he asked incredulously. It’s almost five on Saturday morning at this point, Spencer doesn’t understand how Aaron is still standing. He had a power nap earlier but he’s already drained.

Aaron laughed and took Spencer's other hand in his. "Can I walk you back to your dorm?" he asked shyly like he had been earlier in the library.

"I'd like that," Spencer responded.

When they made it across campus to Spencer’s form building, the party had been long over and their footsteps echoed in the hallway. At Spencer’s door, he sighed happily and leaned against it to face Aaron. "Could I, um, keep the jacket?" 

Although he was nervous to ask, the shine in Aaron's eyes was most definitely worth it. "Only if you'll wear it on our next date."

Spencer felt the heat rise up to his cheeks and settle across them. “I will.” He nodded excitedly. 

He pulled his keys out of his back pocket and pushed it into the key hole. 

"So, uh, same time next week?" Aaron asked, pushing some of the black hair out of his face and behind his ear.

Spencer unlocked his door and opened it before turning back around. He he took a deep breath and surprised even himself when he leaned in and kissed Aaron on his cheek. "Can't wait."

**Author's Note:**

> based off the little ramble i went on over on my tumblr hotchreidd... no thoughts just these idiots in love in every universe.


End file.
